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CAPT. JOHNSON MOULTON'S COMPANY. 

THE FIRST TO LEAVE THE DISTRICT OF MAINE IN 
THE REVOLUTION. 

BY NATHAN GOOLD. 

iJeacZ before the Maine Historical Society, Jan. 26, 1899. 

The clash of arms at Lexington, 

Awoke the martial fires 
That slumbered in the sturdy hearts 

Of our New England sires. 

Maine, having been a part of Massachusetts during 
the period of the Revolutionary War, has had her his- 
tory, in those trying times, overshadowed by that of 
the mother commonwealth. In justice to our fore- 
fathers our state's history should be preserved inde- 
pendently for their descendants, that they may know 
the services of their ancestors in the struggle for our 
independence. 

Those who early took decisive action are of especial 
interest in the history of those critical hours, and will 
always be the pride of the towns where they lived. 
They were the heroes of the hour and deserve to have 
their names revered by the generations that will come 
after them. 

The old town of York, without doubt, has the honor 
of having sent the first company of soldiers out of our 
state to the relief of their suffering countrymen. The 
Hon. David Sewall, of that town, stated in 1794, which 
was repeated by Williamson, in his history of Maine, 



1 



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that the news of the battle of Lexington was received 
at York at nine o'clock in the evening of April 20, 
1775, and that although no minute men had been 
formed in that town, a company of over sixty men 
were enlisted, fixed out with guns, ammunition and 
haversacks, with provisions for some days, and actually 
marched the next day, the twenty-first, and had 
crossed over the Piscataqua River into New Hampshire 
before night. They were soon sent back because their 
services were not then needed. 

The night of the 20th of April was a stirring one in 
the coast towns of York and Cumberland counties. In 
the early evening the post rider entered old Kittery 
alarming the people as he passed along. It was the 
story that the Americans had been shot down at Lex- 
ington the day before. 

You know the rest. In the books you have read, 
How the British Regulars fired and fled — 
How the farmers gave them ball for ball, 
From behind each fence and farmyard wall. 
Chasing the redcoats down the lane. 
Then crossing the fields to emerge again 
Under the trees at the turn of the road. 
And only pausing to fire and load. 

It was not fear that aroused the people of Maine 
as the news was carried from town to town, but it was 
their intense indignation that England would not rec- 
ognize their just rights, that she had struck the 
first blow and had spilled the blood of their country- 
men to enforce her unfair laws. The watchfires of 
liberty were lighted on many a hearthstone that night, 



in old Maine, as the rider was heard, above the clat- 
tering of his horse's hoofs, shouting " To arms ! To 
arms ! Avenge the lives of your brothers who have 
fallen at Lexington !" The ride of that courier from 
Kittery Point to Falmouth Neck, where he arrived 
before the dawn of day of the next morning, was as 
historic to Maine as that of Paul Revere, made famous 
by our Longfellow, was to Massachusetts. It fired our 
ancestors to action and those watchfires burned 
brightly until the glorious peace of 1783. 

Many towns, besides York, sent forward companies 
of earnest patriots, ready for any service, but not liv- 
ing near the border of the state did not get into New 
Hampshire before they were turned back. They are 
all entitled to full praise for their spirit and patriotism, 
but Capt. Moulton's company must be given the honor 
of being the first to go beyond the boundaries of our 
state. 

Old York was a patriotic town. As early as Decem- 
ber 28, 1772, the inhabitants, assembled in town meet- 
ing, protested against any infringements on their rights 
by England, and, in January, 1774, they entered an- 
other protest. On the twenty-fourth of October, of 
that year, those patriots contributed to the poor of 
Boston 106 bushels of potatoes, 57 sheep, 4 quintals 
of fish, 23 cords of wood, and £1 4s. in money. On 
June 5, 1776, at a town meeting, they voted that 
should the Continental Congress declare the colonies 
free and independent, they would pledge their lives 
and fortunes to the maintenance of that declaration. 
Such was the spirit of the people who went themselves, 



and sent their sons, at the first call heard from 
Lexington. 

The names of those gallant men of old York have 
been preserved for us, and although, at this time, they 
served but four days before they were sent back, they 
are entitled to our everlasting gratitude for their spirit 
and resolution. Most of these men enlisted soon after 
their return in Col. James Scamman's 30th Regiment 
of Foot, and served at Cambridge in Gen. Washing- 
ton's army at the siege of Boston. 

The original pay-roll of Capt. Johnson Moulton's 
company, after nearly one hundred and twenty-four 
years, is in a good state of preservation, and from 
which the following was taken. 

Pay Roll of a Company Raised by the Town of York and under the 
Command of Capt. Johnson Moultou Esq., April 21, 1775, as Minute 
Men in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. 

Johnson Moulton, Capt, 



Samuel Darby, 


1st Lieut. 


James Donnell, 


2nd " 


John Trevett, 


Serg't. 


Joshua Trafton, 


K 


Josiah Parsons, 


" 


""Edward Low, 


" 


Joseph Parsons, 


Drummer. 


Benjamin Leigh, 


Fifer. 


RANK 


ANB FILE. 


Amos Main 


Thomas Haynes 


William Grow, Ji\ 


Richard Dean 


Josiah Moore 


Henry Sayward 


Ebenezer Moulton 


Jotham Harris 


Eliakim Hilton 


Benjamin Cole 


Thomas Tolpy 


Jotham Donnell 


Storer Sewall 


John Young Junr. 


Elisha Horn 


Arthur Bridges 


David Preble 


Daniel Grant 


Joseph Stanley 


John Nowell Junr. 


Theodore Sayward 


Elisha Boyce 



Abraham Sawyer Robert Bredeen 

Amaziah Goodwin Benja. Rogers 

Daniel Raynes Ebenezer Mclntyer Junr. 

Joshua Grant Joseph Garey 

Joshua McLucas Samuel Welch 

Jonathan Farnham William Linscott 

Roger Plaisted Arthur Bragdon 

Shubual Nasson Jonathan Welch 

Joseph Harris John Kingsbury, Junr. 

Joseph Simpson David Davis 

James Dempsy Samuel Garey 

Norton Philips Thomas Welch 

David Grant Reuben Freeman 

Daniel Lunt Abram Moore 

Joshua Bridges Jotham Harris 

Spencer Perkins Cesar (Negro) 



Johnson Moulton, Capt. 



Total 63 men. 



The date of enlistment of the entire company is 
given as April 21, 1775, all were from the town of 
York, and each man was allowed four days' service. 

The original pay-roll is in the Massachusetts Arch- 
ives, in Vol. XIII, page 10. 

Capt. Johnson Moulton was prominent in York and 
by trade was a joiner. He had been a captain in the 
French and Indian war, and had a brother Thomas and 
a sister Deborah, and they were children of Ebenezer 
Moulton, of York, who had land granted him by that 
town and had died before July 5, 1768. Capt. Moul- 
ton's first wife died August 4, 1782, her name and 
age, to me, unknown. He entered his intention of 
marriage to Mary Bragdon, October 11, 1783, whom 
he married, and she outlived him, dying December 23, 
1794. His death occurred June 13, 1793. He left 
children, Johnson, jr., Elizabeth Woodbridge, and 
Mary. His homestead he bought of James Sayward 
in 1763. 



Johnson Moulton made a will October 11, 1791, and 
said " being weak in body and not knowing how few 
days remains to me in this world" etc, and speaks of 
his " beloved wife Mary." The will was probated 
June 27, 1793, and the inventory of his estate was 
dated July 15, 1793, and amounted to £580-0-1, 
with a list of notes amounting to over £120. John 
Frost, of Kittery, was his executor, and for his and his 
horse's services he charged but six shillings per day. 
Among the articles that appear in the inventorj'^ were 
"gun and bayonet 12 shillings, 1 pair pistols 6 shill- 
ings, 1 pair spurs 3 shillings, 1 pair old ditto 1 shilling, 
hanger (sword) 3 pounds, and an espontoon (a kind of 
halberd or pike used in the British army) 4 shillings." 

Capt. Moulton, after his return from the Lexington 
alarm, enlisted May 2, 1775, as lieutenant-colonel in 
Col. James Scammon's regiment, although, he had 
been recommended by the militia officers of his county 
for the colonelcy. His commission was dated May 29, 
1775, and he served with that regiment at Cam- 
bridge that year. He served in the same capacity in 
Col. William Prescott's (he of Bunker Hill fame) 7th 
Continental regiment during the year 1776, serving 
through the siege of Boston, and then joined Gen. John 
Nixon's brigade in Gen. Nathaniel Greene's division, 
and took part in the Long Island campaign. After the 
war he was Sheriff of York county and served several 
years. In 1784 he was paid for keeping four British 
prisoners. 

Capt. Moulton is now forgotten in the town where 
he lived and died. His name was barely mentioned 



in th e vital records of York, and but for the deeds of 
his land, and the probate records, we might have 
known little of him. 

First Lieut. Samuel Darby, the name became Derby, 
after his service in this company, raised one for Col. 
Scamman's regiment, enlisting May 2, 1776, serving 
through that year. He commanded a company in 
Col. William Prescott's regiment in 1776, and joined 
Col. John Bailey's 2d Massachusetts regiment Janu- 
ary 1, 1777. He was commissioned major in Lieut. 
Col. John Brooks' 7th Massachusetts regiment Novem- 
ber 1, 1778, and afterwards served in Col. Michael 
Jackson's 8th Massachusetts regiment. He command- 
ed a York County company at Yalley Forge through 
the memorable winter of 1777-78, and saw much hard 
service. He died intestate, and Reuben Derby was 
appointed the administrator of his estate July 7, 1807, 
which was probably soon after his death. His wife's 
name was Mary. 

Second Lieut. James Donnell entered Col. Scamman's 
regiment, with Capt. Darby, as his first lieutenant, 
and January 1, 1776, joined Col. Edmund Phinney's 
18th Continental regiment, with the same rank, in 
Capt. Tobias Fernald's company, and was promoted 
to captain November 13, 1776. He enlisted January 
1, 1777, as captain in Col Samuel Brewer's 12th Mas- 
sachusetts regiment and resigned from the service 
July 5, 1779, after over four year's service. 

James Donnell served at the siege of Boston, and 
marched to Fort Ticonderoga in August, 1776. His 
company was on the fleet at Lake George in June, 



1777, and was in the retreat from Ticonderoga July 7, 
1777, finally arriving at Saratoga August 1. They 
took part in the battle of Stillwater, then at Saratoga, 
October 7, and witnessed Burgoyne's surrender ten 
days later. 

Capt. Donnell's company joined Washington's army 
near Philadelphia and spent the winter at Valley Forge, 
where James Dempsey, who was a soldier in this com- 
pany, broke his arm felling a tree. On June 28, 1777, 
they fought at Monmouth and crossed the Hudson 
River at King's Ferry, July 14. In August the regi- 
ment marched to Danbury, Connecticut, to guard the 
stores there, where they remamed several weeks. In 
the latter part of November, under Gen. Putnam, they 
marched back to the Hudson River, at West Point, but 
the regiment was at Peekskill when Capt. Donnell re- 
signed. His service covers the whole period of the 
activity of the northern army in the war, and his reg- 
iment was always to the front in every emergency. 

The old town of York has much interesting history, 
but none shines out more brilliantly than the deeds of 
her gallant sons during the war of the Revolution. 
Their names should be blazoned on the history of our 
state, that their heroic sacrifices may never be 
forgotten. 

They felt the justice of their cause ; 

And when the tempest broke, 
Though tyrants made the wrongful laws, 

God made their hearts of oak. 
No weight of years their feet could stay, 

Nor tender age restrain. 
When foreign musketry blazed forth 

O'er Concord's hallowed plain. 



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